Portable computers are currently available in a variety of forms including, for example, hand-held personal computers (H/PCs) and palm-sized personal computer (P/PC). Such portable computers are gaining popularity among computer users who increasingly use these computers on the move. The benefits provided by such portable computers have often led to users employing these portable computers in many aspects of their personal and business lives.
An important benefit associated with portable computers is the increased mobility afforded to the user. Computer users are now able to do word processing, check e-mails, perform electronic scheduling, update contact databases, and compose electronic spreadsheets, all on the move. A recent growth area in the computer market has thus been in powerful portable computers which provide many of these mobile-related features.
Traditionally, a trade-off between size and power has existed in the field of computer technology. However, the evolution of computer technology has reached a point today such that small computer devices can now offer powerful functions. Nevertheless, despite the miniaturization of cutting-edge portable computers entering the consumer market these days, there will always be a new need for new smaller portable computers to meet a new requirement. Since different computer users may have different needs, today's portable computer must also be expandable. The portable computer industry is therefore adapting a trend towards incorporating commonly used features and functions, i.e. base features and functions, into a basic portable computer, and providing expansion features and functions in an auxiliary fashion.
In order to provide auxiliary features and functions to a portable computer, it is common to package hardware and software into external devices or peripherals. An interface is then provided for connecting these external devices to a portable computer. Popular forms of external device include card devices, such as Compact Flash (CF) cards and Personal Computer (PC) cards. Card receptacles, also known as card slots, are often included in portable computers for receiving and connecting these card devices so that the features or functions provided by the card devices are offered to the user of the portable computer.
A drawback of providing receptacles in portable computers for receiving card devices is the necessary use of space taken up in the portable computer. Sometimes, a portable computer may have two card receptacles so that, for example, one receptacle can receive a storage card and the other card receptacle can receive a modem card. The two card receptacles may be of the same type, such as two PC card slots, or more commonly of different types, such as one PC card slot and one CF card slot.
The HP 620 LX hand-portable computer available from Hewlett-Packard, USA, includes a PC card slot or receptacle on one side of the unit and a CF card slot or receptacle on the other side of the unit. The space occupied by these card receptacles in the HP 620 LX is relatively large compared to the total space occupied by the unit. A user who does not require the expansion options provided by the receptacles is therefore burdened by an unnecessarily large unit.